Does anyone have any valid stats on global participation?
Or is everyone just pulling this info out of their a$$es?
Does anyone have any valid stats on global participation?
Or is everyone just pulling this info out of their a$$es?
Harder no. Non existent in the majority of the world yes.
Pre is my Favorite wrote:
I guess I'll be the first one to say it...
I believe Kennenisa Bekele is the greatest Olympian of all time, to date. It's already been mentioned on this thread that distance running has a massive worldwide participation level. Bekele holds both Olympic records (by a large margin) and has three golds and a silver. I'm certain he would have two more of different colors if he gave the steeplechase any mind. This man has smashed anyone that Kenya has been able to throw at him, even using their team tactics against him. The 2008 Olympic 5,000 meters is likely the greatest track distance race ever run. Bekele did it from the front, letting everyone draft, and doing all the pacemaking. He closed the last 2k in 4 minutes, 55 MF seconds. Yet somehow, with two Kenyans on his shoulder to the bell, he dropped a 53 and won by FIVE seconds, in one lap alone, against the greatest distance runners the world could offer. And in this era, where East Africans seem to come out of the woodwork, he stayed atop the world with ease! And his silver came to El G, when the race came down to just the last lap, and of course with his 3:26 El G had the wheels (I think he doped anyway).
But if Bolt comes away with 3 or 4 golds here, and Bekele doesn't win the 10,000 I will have to rank him ahead of Bekele. I don't see either happening.
I've been a distance runners for over a decade and I'll just tell you that as a whole, we're kidding ourselves if we think that distance running has "massive worldwide participation".
Running itself has extensive participation. However, the VAST majority of runners do not engage in distance running. For the most part, distance running is the "punishment" imposed upon the athletes of most sports.
When someone on your high school basketball team misbehaves? Make him run laps.
When an American football team is being rowdy?
Make them run laps.
If anything, the vast majority of the world prefers AVOIDING distance running.
Sprinting in contrast, is much more popular. Football Players have to sprint. American Football players have to sprint. Rugby players have to sprint. Basketball players have to sprint. Baseball players have to sprint. Etc.
Tarzan (Johnny Weissmuller) is the greatest Olympian of all time. Only 5 gold medals maybe, but set 67 world records and was never beaten in a race - retired undefeated. And then went on to fight lions and tigers in the jungle - beat that.
How about that Tweezer Reprise during the Phelps highlight reel!
High global participation? Sure.
Running is what athletes in other sports do to warm up for their sport. It's that easy.
Well yes, running easy is easy. So is swimming easy.
Here's one study and this is in the usa a first world country. The worlds majority are poor any logic shows that their percentages would be even lower.
To contrast every able bodied human can run.
Sums it up really...
If we took this silliness about Phelps swimming backwards, side-to-side, etc. and chose one stroke and one relay using that one stroke.
His resume looks like this.
2000:
200m Fly - 5th
2004:
100m Fly - Gold
200m Fly - Gold
4x100 Medley Relay - Gold (fly leg)
2008:
100m Fly - Gold
200m Fly - Gold
4x100 Medley Relay - Gold (fly leg)
2012:
100m Fly - TBD (likely no medal)
200m Fly - Silver
4x100 Medley Relay - TBD (US favored)
As of now he has 6 Golds and 1 Silver with two events pending. Not a bad resume.
Running up a hill with a weighted vest and soft boiled egg on a spoon is hard too. Difficulty of the sport has no relevance on the difficulty of being the best at it. Everyone without disability has the opportunity to run. Running is a component of most sports. If your good at running you'll know it. Hence winning a medal in track will be significantly harder than swimming.
BTW if swimming is so hard how come 15yr olds win gold medals? Yeah I can play that game too
Um yeah he is, and you are an idiot.
Now do that with an event that is the fastest from point a to point b, which is the freestyle.
Come back to me with that one
Yeah and the female gymnast he just surpassed is no.2... troll
hansgruber wrote:
Now do that with an event that is the fastest from point a to point b, which is the freestyle.
Come back to me with that one
That's right, bro. The only track events that count don't involve hurdles or barriers.
hansgruber wrote:
Now do that with an event that is the fastest from point a to point b, which is the freestyle.
Come back to me with that one
Come at me when they start running 200m and above on a staight track like the 100. Running a curve is not the fastest way from point A to point B.
Yeah.... And there is the possibility for each athlete to compete in 1 hurdle event, either the 110 or 400. That's one medal. Correct me if I'm wrong 'bro' but there is a 100,200 butterfly and butterfly leg of the medley. 3 chances of an event that isn't first to the finish.
And that's playing your game. Fact is hurdles are obstacles and they are getting over them in the fastest way from point a to point b. Butterfly isn't an obstacle. Every obscure stroke in the pool is equivalent to the race walk.
It's hard to win an arguement when your wrong ay
Did you go to school. Point a is the start line and point b is the finish line. If they were running that race backwards you'd have an arguement.
Jesus..get over it! Phelps is the greatest Olympian of all time for dominating HIS SPORT!
FYI...running isnt that cool either.
No. Lebron James is the greatest olympian ever. Swimming is boring anyway... Butthurt much?
You have to be a great athlete to even make it to a Olympic final in ANYTHING.. let alone be the most decorated Olympic athlete EVER. He is the greatest olympian of all time. If he's not.. Who is?